About Robert C. Neal

A LEGACY OF LEARNING

ROBERT C. NEAL

1892-1960

Born November 3, 1892 in Independence, Texas, Robert Claudius Neal was the oldest son of Robert P. and Ella M. Neal. While his early education was acquired at home under the tutorship of his father, who was also an educator, his formal education began at Fisk University and continued at Howard University where he completed requirements for his education degree.

Mr. Neal and his family moved to Bryan where he began his teaching career in 1928. A year later, he was named assistant principal to Mr. E. A. Kemp and took the reins of the Bryan Colored High School principalship in September 1929 after the death of Mr. Kemp. Two years later, Mr. Neal was named principal of Kemp High School, a new campus named in honor of Mr. Kemp which was built on what is the site of Neal Elementary. After almost 30 years as principal, he retired in 1958.

His wife, Willie Scales, is a retired teacher and both daughters -- Ruth N. Battle and Ella N. Donovan -- are retired educators.

Neal's first principal was Linda Asberry, a graduate of Kemp High School, served in BISD for over 40 years. Her first job in Bryan was teaching English at Kemp -- located where Neal is now.